One original sci-fi story per day for all of 2023 | Created by screenwriter Timothy Michael Cooper, illustrated using A.I.

Maximized

Maximized

He's already maximized his day-to-day efficiency to the nth degree. Using REM-tracking smartwatches, melatonin, and blood analysis, he’s stabilized his sleep at a hyper-economical 3 hours and 17 minutes a night. He’s long since stopped wasting time eating food, instead drinking a nutrient slurry customized to his body's needs down to the microgram. Every supply, from toilet paper to ionized water, is delivered at automated intervals. Bowel movements are scheduled through a careful regimen of timed laxative ingestion. Lovemaking is quick, effective, not especially pleasurable. He never needs to leave his apartment again. In being utterly trapped, he’s finally free.